1. Field of the Invention
The device of this invention is a slurry diverter for use in well drilling operations and more particularly relates to a slurry diverter for use in water well drilling using comparatively low water/air pressure.
2. History of the Prior Art
In drilling water wells at present a slurry emanates from the drill hole under pressure which causes dirt to blow into the air around the drill shaft creating a high level of particulate matter in the air which gets into the surrounding machinery and lowers the lifespan of compressors and other expensive equipment. At present in the oil drilling field slurry diverters are used in drilling rigs encountering significantly higher pressures than in water well drilling. Water in both water and oil well drilling enters down through the drill shaft and out the drill bit to lubricate and kill the dust in the drilling area. Air pressure is also introduced down through the drill shaft to activate the bit and to cause the water to rise back up the outside of the drill shaft carrying with it the drilling debris thereby clearing the drill hole. In oil well drilling slurry diverters have a series of thick rubber washer-like gaskets which tightly compress against the drill shaft. Beneath these gaskets the slurry is contained in a secondary chamber and forces its way out through a pipe to another area where its release will not interfere with the work being done at the drill site. In the slurry diverter used in the oil drilling industry, the rubber gaskets are circular and fit around the drill shaft like ring members with their entire inner surface thickness contacting the drill shaft. They are further compressed from the top and bottom so as to be squeezed to expand against and exert very high pressure on the drill shaft to prevent the escape therebetween of slurry under high pressure from below. In order to utilize such slurry diverter for a water well drilling, the drill shaft must be suspended and lowered in exact vertical registration with the opening in the slurry diverter which alignment can take many hours.